Cairo Santos was named a team captain this year. He’s been well-liked in the locker room since he arrived. However, that doesn’t seem to impress head coach Ben Johnson. The veteran kicker had a rough outing on Monday night against Minnesota. Not only did he miss a crucial 50-yard field goal, but he also failed to kick the ball out of the end zone to preserve the two-minute warning for the Chicago Bears. Those two mistakes led directly to them losing the game. It was the latest reminder of Santos’ glaring lack of leg strength.
Apparently, the Bears have no intention of letting him forget that. Mere days later, they signed kicker Jake Moody to the practice squad. The former 49ers 3rd round pick faltered last season, connecting on just 70% of his field goals. Then he missed two more in the opener. That got him cut. The Bears decided to bring him onto their practice squad. This serves two purposes. It gives a talented young player a chance to gather himself after a tough time in San Francisco while also sending a clear message to Santos that he better button up.
Cairo Santos usually responds well to challenges.
This isn’t the first time the Bears have brought in some fringe competition when he was struggling. The kicker soon found his focus again and was consistently accurate. Even so, this doesn’t solve the underlying issue. Cairo Santos still has a leg strength problem. To that end, Moody isn’t much of an improvement. He was never known for a booming leg. His two selling points were a knack for late-game heroics, hitting multiple game-winning kicks at Michigan. He was also adept at kickoffs, giving his team a big advantage in coverage. Both of those areas are question marks for the Bears. This is a win-win situation. It allows Moody to escape the nightmare experience in San Francisco and be out of the spotlight while reminding Santos that he isn’t untouchable.
